China, Israel continue to collaborate in science and tech despite unrest in Gaza
While Beijing supports Palestine and has a fractious relationship with Tel Aviv’s closest ally, cutting-edge innovations keep them together
“I have a feeling that we have a lot of common ground and plenty of opportunities for cooperation in sectors such as energy and agriculture,” said Yaroslav Efimov, head of science and technology at PLANETech, an Israeli non-profit innovation community specialising in climate change-related technologies and part of the Israel Innovation Institute.
Efimov was in China on a five-day trip in late January to promote the technological development of Israel and its innovation system. During his trip, he met representatives from various Chinese organisations, including the International Ecological Economy Promotion Association and the China Society of Automotive Engineers.
“I understand that not everyone knows about Israel’s potential and capacity, or the technologies we are developing,” Efimov said. “In the meantime, it’s also important for us to understand what our peers in China are looking for and what their demands are.”
However, “science is science”, Efimov said in an interview on January 22. “I am very happy to see this week that we speak the same language.”